Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Soooo, our mild mannered lab mix rescue dog that we have had for about a year displayed some new behaviors this past weekend. Fortunately we have easy going neighbors who like dogs.
Let's see if I can remember all of his misbehavior ... he chased a car (eek!), barked at boaters by following them along the shoreline, jumped against two cars, and just generally showed a lack of discipline. He is about two yrs old and has been with us a year plus.
Do you think he is exhibiting new behaviors because he has reached a new level of comfort with us or just caught up in the excitement of the moment and will settle back down? Suggestions?
Was the weather a lot nicer than it has been? He might be itching for a little more outdoor activity, like more or longer walks. Were there more boaters and people out and about? That could ramp up his excitement level. Take a little time every day to go over his commands and maybe learn some new ones to remember his discipline.
Yes, to each of your questions. He was very excited but I was becoming concerned that we were seeing another side to his personality ... the unruly, caution be damned side. :-) He is very, very tired today and is being an easy dog to care for. Heh heh
Am sure there's a lot new sights and scents to him but bottom line, he's still young, would keep him on a leash with you til he's more trustworthy (knock wood!), that way you dont have to worry about someone accidently falling if he knocks them over or getting hit by a car etc, mine are seniors and would still get tempted to race around and do whatever, etc
Thank you Honeycrisp. I have had him out quite a bit yesterday and so far today and we have been working on his obedience. He broke away from me once to chase a duck but did stop when I yelled and then returned ... so I am seeing some progress and willingness to obey. Guess spring is just an exciting time.
Do you think he is exhibiting new behaviors because he has reached a new level of comfort with us or just caught up in the excitement of the moment and will settle back down? Suggestions?
Probably a little of both. Also, 2 is right about when they hit maturity, so he could be experiencing some late teenage self confidence. This is probably a good time to review his obedience training, and make extra sure you're being consistent with him. It will pass!
Thank you for the reply misfitz. I've reminded all of the family to be consistent with his obedience training and he has settled back down now and is in fact making some great progress. I do think that he just tends to "lose his head" a bit at times, immaturity yet, and we are not the most experienced of dog owners. However, he is a fantastic dog and is highly lovable so I think that we will eventually have a consistently well behaved dog. I thank each of you again for your support and advice.
A professional training refresher course or visit might be a good thing right now for both the humans and the dogs in the home to re-establish who is in charge and obediance. You can enroll in any number of three to six week training courses or just have a visit from a trainer come to your home and offer some help at this stage. Just ask your vet for a referal. It's good to do it now because with summer almost here there will be even more activity with people out and other animals to distract him.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
